But it turns out that black and Hispanic unemployment numbers were in steady decline for several years before Trump took office.

The numbers proving that aren’t exactly hard to dig up. Gene Sperling, a former economic consultant to chairmen Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, had a hunch Trump might try to take credit for the drop in black and Hispanic unemployment, so he tweeted them out right before Trump’s address.

Black& Hispanic Unemployment: Facts for when Trump tries to take credit for continuation of Obama trend:

Those numbers show that after the Great Recession peaked in 2009, black and Hispanic unemployment began to naturally decline, much like the overall unemployment rate. By the time Trump took office in January 2017, those numbers had dropped from 16.5% in 2010 in the black community to 7.8%. Likewise, Hispanic unemployment numbers had gone from a high of 12. 9 % in 2010 to 5.9%.

And at least one other reason members of the Congressional Black Caucus chose to sit is that the talking phase isn’t altogether accurate. Despite reaching new lows, black unemployment numbers continue to lag far behind those in white communities — something Trump failed to mention.

The unemployment rate as of December 2017 for white Americans is at 3.7% according to Bureau of Labor Statistics information, compared with 6.8% for black Americans.

The group additionally appeared to be aiming a message at Trump with their attire, wearing Afro-centric clothing in protest of Trump’s recent remarks about immigrants coming to America from “shithole” countries.

Politicians should share credit where it’s due while also not dismissing the real challenges that remain.

Progress has been constructed in minority communities. But tying those gains to recent political elections sends a misleading message about who deserves that credit and what work still remains ahead. So, if you hear someone complaining about black lawmakers not standing to cheer for Trump’s rhetoric, remember it’s because they know where things genuinely stand and how they came to be.